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I
JOHN RUSSELL
By William A. Wing
PAPER READ AT MEETING OF THE
OLD DARTMOUTH HISTORICAL SOCIETY
NOVEMBER
l.Uli,
193
5
OLD DARTMOUTH
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
No. 69
In the Scries of Sketches
of
New
Bedford's E.irly History
7. el
se-tr
JOHN RUSSELL
01,1) Dartmouth
172^
irreparable loss at Christmas
met with an
Thomas Hathaway,
the burning of the house of
in
the Clerk of the Proprietors, and with
Thomas Hathaway,
of their records.
a
it
the destruction
staunch early Friend,
did not believe in celebrating Christmas, so the fire could not be
to the holiday festivities, but
laid
was one of the misfortunes
that ha\'e raised havoc with the early records.
The Town-Meet-
ing records begin in 1673, the earlier ones are missing, and those
following just after King Philip's
Dartmouth
was
settled
War
by
mostly
who had found
generation" folk,
are tragicly meagre.
the
younger
"second
parent-towns of Dux-
Island, becoming too crowded
John Russell was one of the mature early settlers,
being about fifty-five, when he came permanently to Dartmouth,
and remained here about thirty years until his death. John Rus-
bury, and Portsmouth, Rhode
for a future.
lived entirely in the sixteen
sell
all
the English Stuarts, except
Charles
I,
Charles
II,
James
hundreds during the reigns of
Queen Anne. They were
II,
William and Mary
— James
— and he
I,
was probably anti- Stuart. However, they must have seemed
only distant cchos of royalty from that " time-dimmed far-away
land called England."
There
Russell,
are not
many
descendants
descendants, for instance
called,
and there
President
cestor
John
bear the
name
But there
are
"Howland Heirs" soare various descendants, members of this Society.
Mr. Crapo is one, and he is sitting in his An-
many
Our
now who
once so frequent and of importance here.
all
the
—
Russell's chair.
I remember my grandfather Howland, who remembered his
Grandfather Howland, who remembered his Grandfather John
and namesake and grandone of the Russell Twins
Russell
—
—
son of John Russell Senior.
ories
from him,
a
So only three
lives
span the
space of over three hundred years.
mem-
Never-the-
less
the getting together the material for this short study of John
somewhat
Russell has been
There were no
eers in
what
now
is
"gathering up the fragments."
like
than
less
John
six
Massachusetts,
From
for a Pioneer.
of prior to 165
Russells
we
if
who were
Pion-
accept the usual date
somewhat confusing
this
group our own John Russell emerges in Plymouth at "Rexham,"
that is Marshfield, at about 1640. There were born to him and
his goodwife Dorothy, three sons, John, Jonathan, and Joseph.
To
Marshfield, at about this same time
as
John
Russell's ap-
pearance there, came the Rev. Richard Blynman and
group from the borders of Wales.
He
his parish-
and some of
his
flock
Cape Ann where he established his church.
John Russell and his wife Dorothy may have
come with them, though there is no proof either way. As Monmouth is in that vicinity, the continuous and die-hard legend that
a Russell came to Dartmouth from there may have some vestige
shortly departed for Gloucester at
of truth to enlighten that myth, although an intensive search of
English Records of that
In 1642,
an important
he was
John
was appointed Constable
office for that
made
town-folk
at Marshfield,
Shortly afterward
relig-
community. One of the
school was in Marshfield, and when
and financially
earliest places to establish a
its
time and place.
freeman showing that he was approved
a
iously, civicly,
has remained unrewarded.
localit)'
Russell
in
his
among the subscribers for this desirable
who at that time had children of his
He held various town offices and was
school.
so resolved,
project was John Russell,
own
to attend the
highways which was to serve him well
He had early bought lands at Marsh-
likewise a surveyor of
not only then, but
field
of
Thomas Chillingworth, and was
purchaser of real
— near
later.
the Daniel
thereafter a considerable
In the old burying ground of Marshfield
estate.
—
Webster Farm
there is a small monument to
it are the names John and Dorothy Russell
the Early Settlers, on
and,
if
vaguely
you look
off in
see the locality
Quakerism, with
1657, and
among
the south-westerly direction
you may
of their early lands.
its
heavy
penalities, reached Marshfield in
those entering into
it
whole-heartedly were
Arthur Howland and his wife Margaret, their neighbors and
friends.
Although there is no record of John Russell's active
interest and part in the attendant troubles, it may have had some
influence on his coming here to Dartmouth later on.
According
to an ancient deposition he was upwards of fifty years, and was
soon in civic documents to be called "Senior", showing his eldest
son John had reached maturity.
Land speculation was rife at
that time, and the exodus to other localities was
The
much
in pro-
homes for himself and his own, and
a wider and freer field undoubtedly were strong influences "for
without vision the country perishes," though this may have been
somewhat the vision brought of necessity.
gress.
vision of future
A
group of the few first-comers held in common a certain
land lay-out, on the east side of the Acushnet River
about opposite what is now "Brooklawn Park." It had a Point
stretching out into the River, on which was later the earliest
community
burying-place and was watered by
after this purchase,
John Russell
a
goodly Brook.
sold his share to
Not long
John Cooke
who came
to Dartmouth at that time.
John Russell having
bought the share of Myles Standish in "Ponagansett", and then
calling himself "planter and freeman", he became in Dartmouth
what might be termed a "favorite son," for he was the first to
represent his township as Deputy to the old Colonial Govern-
ment
at
166^, and thereafter at divers times.
This
responsibility of particular importance to his
com-
Plymouth
was then
a
munity.
He made
plentiful in early
pasturage.
in
his journey on horse-back, horses were fairly
Dartmouth, for it was primarily a place of
In fact the Indians thought there were too
many
for
they complained that the horses of the "Englishmen" injured
their belongings,
and John Russell was one of those to settle the
Well armed he rode along
matter with apparent satisfaction.
the then difficult "King's
Highway" hardly more than
a
rough
between Plymouth and
Rhode Island passing through Dartmouth. If you rode toward
Newport it was called the "Rhode Island Way" if toward Plypath,
following the old Indian
mouth
Ways".
trails
"Plymouth Path" and at Acushnet was the "Parting
The journey had its perils and pitfalls, but there were
the
companions enough,
They
it
being
in
its
way
a sort
of pilgrimage to
somewhat in groups, to their various
destinations and missions, wary of some wayfarers and welcoming
others. The Deputy must needs go, and the Custodians of those
on trial, the Tax-Collectors with moneys gathered-in, the Jurymen, the partakers in the Court-Trials, also adventurers and
hangers-on.
Stopping-places were few and none too good, but
Plymouth.
travelled
they offered refreshment and
much
needed
rest
for
"man and
Thus our Deputy John
Russell was serving and representing his new home township of
Dartmouth in Plymouth Colony.
beast" in this early colonial-cavalcade.
John Russell described himself as a "Planter" little knowing
come down to historic fame in planting his "orchards"
There was his homestead farm of 400 acres
at " Tonagansett."
stretching from Clark's Cove to " Tonagansett" River, a lovely
he was to
land with woods, lowlands and highlands, shores and streams.
One
in
been
known
particular flowing into "Ponagansett River," has long
as
built his house,
the
"Old Fort Brook".
about 20
and so-called "salt-box"
feet square
el!
at
Beside this stream he
with large stone chimney,
the north.
This house was un-
doubtedly similar to the Thomas Taber House
fragment of which
still
remains and belongs to
at
Fairhaven
this Society,
a
and
wc
have an interesting painting of Taber's, giving an exDartmouth House. The entire sides
also
cellent idea of a very early
Nearby
Here he dwelt with
Such was the
Ii;s household in comparative peace and plenty.
pattern of his Dartmouth scene when the Indian War with King
of the Russell house were probably constructed of stones.
v.
ore planted his apple orchards well fenced.
rhil.p broke out in the
One
summer
of 167S.
of the earliest attacks was upon Dartmouth.
had been sufficient time since the
strengthen his
home
place with a garrison and a strong stockade
for the protection of the neighboring settlers.
known
hold was
There
onslaught at Swansea to
first
This
strong-
little
the "Garrison at Russell's Orchards in
as
Tona-
There of importance besides John Russell were Captain Samuel Eels of Hingham, in command, and Ralph Earle, a
near neighbor of John Russell, when Captain Benjamin Church
gansett."
appeared upon the scene.
John Russell
in
Marshfield days must
known Church who was born and bred and
part of Duxbury near Marshfield, so that this
have
that
must have given
Little did
a
somewhat
touch to
familiar
married
in
association
later
events.
they realize that their descendants would marry
in
later years.
Captain Daniel Henchman, from what
is
now
Tiverton,
Governor Leverett of
Massachusetts Bay writes, "On the 29th day landed here one
hundred men to relieve Dartmouth being reported in some
distress.
At break Mr. Amie bro't word from Dartmouth
that several parties of Indians with their arms to the number of
R.
in
I.,
a letter
dated July 31,
167')
to
four score gave themselves to the garrison for mercie,
them
in
an island."
the attack on
is
who
set
This was good news and places conclusively
Dartmouth
as
very
late in
July 167S.
The "Island"
the so-called "Little Island" in the Tonagansett River near
the
Russell
making an
Garrison,
for such, keeping
sequel.
and was John
early "prison-camp" for the
Church,
them
safe
and
Eels, Earle,
Russell's
property,
enemy and an
in sight.
thus
ideal place
There was, however,
a
and we may be sure Russell, had
promised the surrendered Indians not only mercy but security.
having treated with them through
their
dismay when
it
a
Imagine
friendly Indian.
was found that the "powers higher up
in
Plymouth" refused to sanction the promises in spite of their
pleadings.
The "power higher up" is said to have been Josiah
Winslow of Plymouth Colony, and its first native-born Governor. He was of Marshfield, and an old friend of John Russell
and Benjamin Church who lost his friendship by their persistGovernor Winslow had the old idea that a "good Indian
ence.
was a dead Indian." The captive Indians were sent to Plymouth
and were sold into slavery and sent from this country. Captain
Church declared if this had not happened, and had they only
been allowed to keep their promises faithfully with the surrendered, the
War
might probably have soon ended. So this
Garrison" was a crucial happen-
unfortunate
affair at "Russell's
ing and the
war dragged on
for another year.
Captain Church came once more to "Russell's Garrison"
at "
"orchard", and had broken
and
his men in
who had taken
'Ponaggansett" and lodged
and found traces of Indians
his
a considerable
"thicket nearby",
from the
Church
with another detachment of his
the apples
"fences" and departed.
its
party pursued and later
men captured
a
number of hostile Indians. This
War. So once again the "Rus-
exploit helped toward ending the
sell
Garrison" had a part of some importance
in those
"troublous
tmies."
The war was over and there had been horrors enough ui Dartmouth, but those quartered at "Russell's Garrison" had been comparatively safe even in the anxieties of a siege, for in a way they
The Indians across " 'Ponagansett" River on
had been besieged.
the Earle homestead-lands had entrenched themselves in a sort
of "dug out" fort on "Heathen-Neck," ro-called for the "Heathen
Rednien." Here, during the War,
shelter
a tall
Indian emerged from this
and made outrageously insulting gestures, which he
is
have learned from the Englishmen, thinking himself well
This
out of gun range, but he was shot for his impudence.
said to
old-time legend becomes
sessions of
one
a fact
on finding among the
Abraham Sherman,
of
Dartmouth
in
listed pos-
1773, nearly
a
century
"A gun which
later
killed an Indian across 'Ponagansett
River from ye olde castle on Russell's land to Heathen Neck."
John Sherman who did the shooting according to family tradition passed this
gun on
who
to his son
in
turn gave
it
to his
son John.
Now
began the period of reconstruction, after an early
The road
In this John Russell was still active.
between Rhode Island and Plymouth became more travelled than
ever before, now the Indian horrors were ended, and John Russell
Colonial War.
again represented his township
as
quarter-of-a-century,
as a
At Plymouth
Deputy.
head of King Philip was displayed on
warning
a
for
pole,
would-be
to
the
more than
a
hostile Indians.
John Russell must have seen it, perhaps under as dramatic conditions as did Patience Faunce who married Ephraim Kempton,
and lived in Dartmouth to the ripe age of 105 years. She hughly
enjoyed regaling her descendants, "even unto the fourth and
fifth generations," by telling them that when a young girl in
Plymouth-Town she had seen King Philip's sktdl on a pole, and
every spring a wren had nested in it and reared her young.
After the War, Plymouth ordered Dartmouth to "live compact together to defend themselves from assault of an
enemy
and better to attend public worship of God and ministry of
the
word of God
may have
been
tempts of
his
a
carelessness to obtain
provocation of
Gospel."
religiously impossible,
fluence in
God
and attend unto
in
fear
thus to chastise their con-
This order was both geographically and
and was
a direct
Dartmouth, which refused
blow
Quaker
at the
to be taxed to
pay
in-
a "hire-
ling minister" believing preaching should be "of the spirit only"
while Plymouth's belief was more
was an excellent example of early
Increase
Mather highly appi'oved of
sarcasticly declared
Dartmouth
surely believed a minister was
— "We
to
practically
pecuniary.
religious politics.
this
It
The Rev.
un-Christian order, and
be "without light"
"worthy of
his
hire."
for he
He
also
done with the Indians and now are molested by the Quakers" thus putting them both in the same category.
Plvmouth continued to order, admonish and threaten Dartmouth
deplored
are
in this respect,
it
Meetings today
At
this
it.
Can
Dartmouth Town
but practically no attention was paid to
be that the stubborness that crops out in
inherited?
is
time John Russell and John Smith were appointed
sum
to distribute the
Dartmouth by
gift from "Irish
in
"among
of 11 pounds
the late
Christians."
made
those
destitute
much
larger
The town of Dartmouth's
share
War."
This was part of
a
of this remarkably generous charity was next to the largest
—
thus gauging our necessities.
John Russell must have been an old friend of John Smith
who had
married Deborah,
a
daughter of those active early
Arthur and Margaret Howland of Marshfield. So to
John Russell, Sr. it was natural and satisfactory that later two
of his sons, John Russell, Jr. and Jonathan Russell should marry
two of John Smith's daughters, Mehitable and Hasadyah.
Friends,
Joseph Russell, the third son had
his part
in the
War
for
Newport, concerning the killing of
Zoeth Howland of Dartmouth at Rowland's Ferry it was testiin
an "Indian Tryal"
at
fied that "the Indian, Manasses, pulled
the water and
House"
also
shot at Joseph
Zoeth Howland out of
Russell."
The "Garrison-
Orchard became again a homestead, and
there lived this Joseph Russell and his wife Elizabeth, and there
were born to them in 1679, not during the war as often
related
the well-known "Russell Twins," our very own
"Romulus and Remus" and founders of our own "Rome,"
for they with their descendants, and on the Russell lands,
were to be the founders of New Bedford; and those who came
later on to New Bedford and prospered owe a debt to the early
Russell Family. John Russell, Sr. built himself a new home on a
at
Russell's
—
•
nearby
hillside,
rison."
Here
dwelt
in
the eastward of his historic
to
in
later
years he
and
his
peaceful security after their all-too-close contact with
an Indian War.
Here was held the
first
school in
with Daniel Shepherd, of Shepherd Plains
Russells
daj's
at
"orchard-gar-
good-wife, Dorothy,
as
having been eager for schooling even
Marshfield.
Likewise early
—
Dartmouth
The
Schoolmaster.
in
their
town-meetings were
early
also
So
held here.
home became an
this
and educational
early civic
center, helpins; in the reconstruction for peace, as the former
home had
offered protection in
thy Russell
in
After the death of Doro-
War.
1687, and John Russell, Sr. in 1695, their
"home
dwelling House with land there unto" was given to their eldestson John Russell, Jr.,
the place to his son
Among
who
John
outlived his father but a year, giving
Russell.
—
John Russell were "books"
His clothing of all sorts was
Then,
valued at 9 pounds a considerable sum for that time.
classed together "an old lanthorn and brass warming-pan,"
the belongings of old
rare in those days in
Dartmouth.
—
I
like to think
his
bed.
To
how
the one lighted his
home and
the other
grandson and name-sake John
his
of the twin sons of Joseph he gives "5
acres of land
age of 21," and eventually this was the land at
where he
there was
Among
built his house.
the
warmed
Russell,
John
at
one
the
Mishaum Point
Russell, Sr. records
frequent mention of what appeared to be "sloop"
which has caused imaginative
ideas
about possible voyages.
How-
ever careful study of writing and wording of original papers,
proves "sloop" to be "sheep," of
much
So John Russell, Senior, ended
his
less
last
intriguing interest!
days
in
his
dwelling-place" within sight of "Russell's Orchards"
"home
and
his
"Garrison-House" by the "old-fort-stream" flowing into " 'Ponogansett" River with "Little Island" and "Heathen Neck" across,
all reminders of the tragic time when he had helped to save Dart-
mouth from
destruction.
changing times, the
site
and the house
stead
It
is
pleasant to
know
that in these
of "Russell-Garrison" and the later home-
at
Mishaum
are
still
in
the
possession
of
Russell Descendants.
Captain John Smith of Virginia who came to these very
in his "Dccription of New England,"
and mapped them
—
shores
in
1616, wrote,
"Who
can desire more content than to tread
ground he hath purchased by the hazard of his life? What
mind can be more pleasant than the planting and building a foundation for his posterity wheresoever on this rude earth
by God's blessing and his own endurance?"
that
to such a
Surely these ideals were fulfilled by John Russell.
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